Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 4 Apr 2001

Vol. 534 No. 1

Written Answers. - Non-directive Counselling.

Batt O'Keeffe

Question:

159 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health and Children if he can provide a list of addresses of centres, health board run or otherwise, offering non-directive counselling in the Cork area, if any study has been undertaken of the decisions taken by women after counselling in the Cork area and if any study has been undertaken in relation to the number of women that choose abortion annually. [10212/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

My Department does not maintain a listing of counselling agencies. However I am informed by the Southern Health Board that the following agencies offer pregnancy counselling in Cork: Cork Family Planning Clinic, 23 Tuckey Street, Cork; Cura, 34 Paul Street, Cork and Life, 123 Patrick Street, Cork.

Many general practitioners offer pregnancy counselling services also.

The Regulation of Information (Services Outside the State for Termination of Pregnancies) Act, 1995, permits an advice agency or doctor to provide information about services outside the State for the termination of pregnancy, in the context of full counselling as to all available options. The Act requires that counselling services must not advocate or promote abortion and prohibits them from making any arrangements on a woman's behalf in relation to abortion services outside the State.

The Southern Health Board has indicated that no local study has been undertaken in relation to the decisions of pregnant women in the Cork area following counselling, or in relation to the number of women who have an abortion annually. A study entitled Women and Crisis Pregnancy, commissioned by my Department from the department of sociology of Trinity College, Dublin, was published in 1998. The study identified and discussed a range of factors which contribute to unwanted pregnancy in Ireland, the factors which lead some women to choose the option of abortion and those which lead others to continue with their pregnancy. The women who participated in the study were not identified and the report does not contain information on where in Ireland they were resident.